Dietary inflammatory potential assessed by the Dietary Inflammatory Index (DII®) has been associated with health outcomes. However, longitudinal changes in the DII in relation to health outcomes rarely have been studied. This study aimed to examine change in the DII score over 10 years and its association with subsequent mortality in the Multiethnic Cohort. The analysis included 56 263 African American, Japanese American, Latino, Native Hawaiian and White participants who completed baseline (45–75 years) and 10-year follow-up surveys, including a FFQ. Mean energy-adjusted DII (E-DII) decreased over 10 years in men (from −0·85 to −1·61) and women (from −1·80 to −2·47), reflecting changes towards a more anti-inflammatory diet. During an average follow-up of 13·0 years, 16 363 deaths were identified. In multivariable Cox models, compared with anti-inflammatory stable individuals, risk of all-cause mortality was increased with pro-inflammatory change in men (hazard ratio (HR) = 1·13, 95 % CI 1·03, 1·23) and women (HR = 1·22, 95 % CI 1·13, 1·32). Per one-point increase in E-DII score over time, HR was 1·02 (95 % CI 1·00, 1·03) for men and 1·06 (95 % CI 1·04, 1·07) for women (P for heterogeneity < 0·001). While no heterogeneity by race and ethnicity was observed for men, the increased risk per one-point increase among women was stronger in non-Whites than in Whites (P for heterogeneity = 0·004). Our findings suggest that a change towards a more pro-inflammatory diet is associated with an increased risk of mortality both in men and women, and that the association is stronger in women, especially non-White women, than in men.

As past usual diet quality may affect gut microbiome (GM) composition, we examined the association of the Healthy Eating Index (HEI)-2015 assessed 21 and 9 years before stool collection with measures of fecal microbial composition in a subset of the Multiethnic Cohort. A total of 5936 participants completed a validated quantitative FFQ (QFFQ) at cohort entry (Q1, 1993–1996), 5280 at follow-up (Q3, 2003–2008) and 1685 also at a second follow-up (Adiposity Phenotype Study (APS), 2013–2016). All participants provided a stool sample in 2013–2016. Fecal microbial composition was obtained from 16S rRNA gene sequencing (V1–V3 regions). HEI-2015 scores were computed based on each QFFQ. Using linear regression adjusted for relevant covariates, we calculated associations of HEI-2015 scores with gut microbial diversity and 152 individual genera. The mean HEI-2015 scores increased from Q1 (67 (sd 10)) to Q3 (71 (sd 11)) and APS (72 (sd 10)). Alpha diversity assessed by the Shannon Index was significantly higher with increasing tertiles of HEI-2015. Of the 152 bacterial genera tested, seven (Anaerostipes, Coprococcus_2, Eubacterium eligens, Lachnospira, Lachnospiraceae_ND3007, Ruminococcaceae_UCG-013 and Ruminococcus_1) were positively and five (Collinsella, Parabacteroides, Ruminiclostridium_5, Ruminococcus gnavus and Tyzzerella) were inversely associated with HEI-2015 assessed in Q1, Q3 and APS. The estimates of change per unit of the HEI-2015 score associated with the abundance of these twelve genera were consistent across the three questionnaires. The quality of past diet, assessed as far as ∼20 years before stool collection, is equally predictive of GM composition as concurrently assessed diet, indicative of the long-term consistency of this relation.

High-quality diets have been found to be beneficial in preventing long-term weight gain. However, concurrent changes in diet quality and body weight over time have rarely been reported. We examined the association between 10-year changes in diet quality and body weight in the Multiethnic Cohort Study. Analyses included 53 977 African Americans, Native Hawaiians, Japanese Americans, Latinos and Whites, who completed both baseline (1993–1996, 45–69 years) and 10-year follow-up (2003–2008) surveys including a FFQ and had no history of heart disease or cancer. Using multivariable regression, weight changes were regressed on changes in four diet quality indexes, Healthy Eating Index-2015, Alternative Healthy Eating Index-2010, alternate Mediterranean Diet and Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension scores. Mean weight change over 10 years was 1·2 (sd 6·8) kg in men and 1·5 (sd 7·2) kg in women. Compared with stable diet quality (< 0·5 sd change), the greatest increase (≥ 1 sd increase) in the diet scores was associated with less weight gain (by 0·55–1·17 kg in men and 0·62–1·31 kg in women). Smaller weight gain with improvement in diet quality was found in most subgroups by race/ethnicity, baseline age and baseline BMI. The inverse association was stronger in younger age and higher BMI groups. Ten-year improvement in diet quality was associated with a smaller weight gain, which varied by race/ethnicity and baseline age and BMI. Our findings suggest that maintaining a high-quality diet and improving diet quality over time may prevent excessive weight gain.

This study examines the associations between maternal Traditional dietary pattern adherence and HIV/treatment with neonatal size and adiposity in urban, black South Africans, as well as how specific maternal factors – that is BMI and gestational weight gain (GWG) – may influence these associations. Multiple linear regression models were used to examine associations among maternal Traditional diet pattern adherence (pattern score), HIV/treatment status (three groups: HIV negative, HIV positive (antenatal antiretroviral treatment (ART) initiation), HIV positive (pre-pregnancy ART initiation)), BMI and GWG (kg/week), and newborn (1) weight:length ratio (WLR, kg/m) in 393 mother–neonate pairs, and (2) Peapod estimated fat mass index (FMI, kg/m3) in a 171-pair subsample. In fully adjusted models, maternal obesity and GWG were associated with 0·25 kg/m (P=0·008) and 0·48 kg/m (P=0·002) higher newborn WLR, whereas Traditional diet pattern score was associated with lower newborn WLR (−0·04 kg/m per +1 sd; P=0·033). In addition, Traditional diet pattern score was associated with 0·13 kg/m3 (P=0·027) and 0·32 kg/m3 (P=0·005) lower FMI in the total sample and in newborns of normal-weight women, respectively. HIV-positive (pre-pregnancy ART) v. HIV-negative (ref) status was associated with 1·11 kg/m3 (P=0·002) higher newborn FMI. Promotion of a Traditional dietary pattern, alongside a healthy maternal pre-conception weight, in South African women may reduce newborn adiposity and metabolic risk profiles. In HIV-positive women, targeted monitoring and management strategies are necessary to limit treatment-associated effects on in utero fat deposition.

Dietary indices have been related to risk for type 2 diabetes (T2D) predominantly in white populations. The present study evaluated this association in the ethnically diverse Multiethnic Cohort and examined four diet quality indices in relation to T2D risk, homoeostatic model assessment-estimated insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) and biomarkers of dyslipidaemia, inflammation and adipokines. The T2D analysis included 166 550 white, African American, Native Hawaiian, Japanese American and Latino participants (9200 incident T2D cases). Dietary intake was assessed at baseline using a quantitative FFQ and T2D status was based on three self-reports and confirmed by administrative data. Biomarkers were assessed about 10 years later in a biomarker subcohort (n 10 060). Sex- and ethnicity-specific hazard ratios were calculated for the Healthy Eating Index-2010 (HEI-2010), the alternative HEI-2010 (AHEI-2010), the alternate Mediterranean diet score (aMED) and the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH). Multivariable-adjusted means of biomarkers were compared across dietary index tertiles in the biomarker subcohort. The AHEI-2010, aMED (in men only) and DASH scores were related to a 10–20 % lower T2D risk, with the strongest associations in whites and the direction of the relationships mostly consistent across ethnic groups. Higher scores on the four indices were related to lower HOMA-IR, TAG and C-reactive protein concentrations, not related to leptin, and the DASH score was directly associated with adiponectin. The AHEI-2010 and DASH were directly related to HDL-cholesterol in women. Potential underlying biological mechanisms linking diet quality and T2D risk are an improved lipid profile and reduced systemic inflammation and, with regards to DASH alone, an improved adiponectin profile.

The alternate Mediterranean diet (aMED) score is an adaptation of the original Mediterranean diet score. Raw (aMED) and energy-standardised (aMED-e) versions have been used. How the diet scores and their association with health outcomes differ between the two versions is unclear. We examined differences in participants’ total and component scores and compared the association of aMED and aMED-e with all-cause, CVD and cancer mortality. As part of the Multiethnic Cohort, 193 527 men and women aged 45–75 years from Hawaii and Los Angeles completed a baseline FFQ and were followed up for 13–18 years. The association of aMED and aMED-e with mortality was examined using Cox’s regression, with adjustment for total energy intake. The correlation between aMED and aMED-e total scores was lower among people with higher BMI. Participants who were older, leaner, more educated and consumed less energy scored higher on aMED-e components compared with aMED, except for the red and processed meat and alcohol components. Men reporting more physical activity scored lower on most aMED-e components compared with aMED, whereas the opposite was observed for the meat component. Higher scores of both aMED and aMED-e were associated with lower risk of all-cause, CVD and cancer mortality. Although individuals may score differently with aMED and aMED-e, both scores show similar reductions in mortality risk for persons scoring high on the index scale. Either version can be used in studies of diet and mortality. Comparisons can be performed across studies using different versions of the score.